Spicy Shrimp, Black Beans and Corn

If you don't see me posting quite as often in the next couple of months, it only means I'm outside enjoying our far-too-short Wisconsin spring and summer. My schedule is always more hectic during the spring and summer with a busier work schedule, many more yard chores, al fresco entertaining and my favorite summer sport - golf with my husband. It's hard to believe it's the middle of June already! I'm trying my best to keep up with all of my blog friends out there - if I'm late to your posts, I'll get there sooner or later :)

If you're like me and are looking for easy, summer meals so you can spend more time outdoors, I have a delicious one! This dish has recently become a favorite of ours. Now that we can get fresh, wild caught, Gulf of Mexico shrimp again from a vendor that comes to town once every 3-4 weeks, I've made this 3 times this spring.  It's easy, satisfying and doesn't break the diet bank :) Do all of the prep work in the morning so all you have to do is the saute everything and dinner is ready in less than 15 minutes.

If you don't mind a few extra carbs, this makes a wonderful soft taco!

I've been enjoying the yellows in the garden lately :)  Happy Father's Day to all the dads out there!!

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Spicy Shrimp, Black Beans and Corn
Adapted from Cooking Light
Printable Recipe

Yield: 4 servings (serving size: 1/3 cup shrimp and about 2/3 cup bean mixture - adjust recipe for heartier appetites)

1 tablespoon chili powder
1/2 teaspoon garlic salt
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1 1/2 pounds medium shrimp, peeled and deveined (I like to have that be the net weight, after peeling and deveining)

Cooking spray or canola oil

2 tablespoons fresh lime juice, divided
1 1/2 cups frozen whole-kernel corn, thawed
3/4 cup bottled salsa
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
1 (15-ounce) can black beans, rinsed and drained

Heat a large nonstick or other large skillet over medium-high heat.

Combine first 3 ingredients in a large bowl. Pat shrimp dry with paper toweling and add shrimp to bowl and toss to coat. This can be done a couple of hours in advance and kept refrigerated.

Heat skillet over medium heat heat on stove top. Coat nonstick pan with cooking spray or, if using a regular skillet, add 1 tablespoon canola oil. Add shrimp and sauté about 3 minutes, turning once halfway through. Use a tongs to flip over uncooked side of shrimp. Add 1 tablespoon lime juice and toss - then remove shrimp from the pan to a plate. Add corn to pan and sauté for 1 minute. Stir in salsa, cilantro, and beans; cook another minute or until thoroughly heated. Stir in 1 tablespoon lime juice. Serve shrimp over bean mixture.

My Suggestions:

1. The shrimp could also be skewered and prepared on the grill.
2. 1-2 small zucchini can be diced and sautéd for 1-2 minutes just before the corn is added.
3. Shrimp can be added back to the pan with the vegetable and bean mixture and served together right from the pan.
4. Tastes great on a soft tortilla.
5. Add a simple side salad of crisp romaine, sliced radishes, cucumber and diced, fresh tomato with a southwest-style dressing and serve alongside the shrimp and beans. Delicious!

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Classic Shortbread Cookies

 

This is my all-time, favorite cookie made in a ceramic Brown Bag brand shortbread pan that I purchased on eBay a few years ago. The pattern is called Wild Flowers and each triangle has a lovely impression of a flower.

The pans were popular in the 80's and I was surprised to find that they are still made!  I saw quite a nice selection on Amazon and eBay. 

Tea in my favorite new infuser (Tea Forte) - a Christmas gift from a daughter.  Flowers blooming - a favorite cookie and tea - what could be better to ease a sore and achy back? I spent all afternoon last Sunday shoveling, raking, planting, bending and lifting cubic yards of potting soil.  My back is still paying the price!  But I was happy to get almost everything done before the rain began on Memorial Day.

This is only the second time I've used my ceramic shortbread pan.  The first time was a disaster with the cookies sticking to the pan and so I packed it away.  Then, I remembered the wonderful wild flower design and, with flowers blooming in the garden again, I decided it was time to give it another try.
 

This time, I did some research and found the Brown Bag website where it mentions to bake in the lower 1/3rd of the oven and also to make sure it is well baked.  I'm sure I didn't cook mine long enough the first time and that is why it stuck to the pan.

I like to add a small amount of rice flour to my shortbread to give it a more 'sandy' texture so that is the only change I made to the recipe. I used a little less AP flour and replaced the rest with rice flour. This time, I used brown rice flour from Bob's Red Mill because that is what I had on hand.

These are flaky, melt-in-your-mouth shortbread!

Classic Shortbread
Adapted from the Brown Bag Website
Printable Recipe

1/2 cup butter at room temperature
1/3 cup powdered sugar (unsifted)
1/4 teaspoon vanilla
3/4 cup flour (unsifted)
1/4 cup brown rice or plain flour (I use Bob's Red Mill Brand)

Preheat oven to 325F.

Using the back of a large, wooden spoon, cream the butter until it is light. Add the powered sugar and blend, then mix in the vanilla. Work in the flours until just blended then knead the dough on an unfloured surface until smooth, about 1-2 minutes.

If using a ceramic shortbread pan, spray it very lightly with a non-stick vegetable oil spray (I used Baker's Joy). I also rubbed a small amount of softened butter onto the pan. Put the ball of dough in the middle of the pan, and working out from the center, firmly press the dough into the pan. Prick the entire surface with a fork thoroughly, and bake the shortbread in the bottom 1/3rd of the oven for about 30-35 minutes, or until it is lightly browned. Be sure that the middle is thoroughly cooked and doesn’t look slightly opaque or the shortbread could stick in the pan.

Remove the pan from the oven and allow to cool for about 10 minutes. I very gently pressed on the edge of the shortbread with a flat icing knife all around the edges to help it release. Then, place a cutting board over the top of the shortbread pan and carefully flip it over. Gently lift off the pan and hopefully, it will have released. If not, lift up the pan about 1" from the cutting board and let it drop. Then, cut the shortbread into serving pieces right away while it is still warm.

If you don't have a shortbread pan, simply pat the kneaded shortbread dough into a small (7-8") tart pan. You could even place it on a baking sheet and pat it out into a 7-8" free-form square or circle. Cut into pieces while still warm.

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Sweet and Spicy Cashew Chicken with Quinoa

Here is another quick and delicious meal that I prepared recently when we had our two little grandsons all day and our daughter came for dinner afterward.  I had seen it on two of my fellow blogger's sites - Highlands Ranch Foodie and Saving Room for Dessert and thought it looked delicious.  It was!

The recipe is originally from Cooking Light and called Honey Cashew Chicken with Rice but the Sriracha adds a nice kick to this dish so I renamed it Sweet and Spicy Cashew Chicken.  Rather than edaname, I used snow peas and instead of rice, I served it with quinoa which made it even more healthy. 

You may think after reading the recipe that this is not a quick and easy dish - but when all of the prep work is done either the night before or in the morning, only the sautéing is left to do which goes very quickly.  I'm a firm believer in getting as many things done in advance as I can on our days with The Boys.  I had the vegetables cleaned and cut and the chicken breast cut into pieces the night before. I measured the spices and kept those covered in little prep bowls.  I also had the sauce ingredients mixed together in advance. I made the quinoa in between play times :) 

 

Sweet and Spicy Cashew Chicken

Adapted from Cooking Light

Inspired by Highlands Ranch Foodie and Saving Room for Dessert
Printable Recipe

Serves 4 (serving size: 1/2 cup quinoa or rice and 1 cup chicken mixture)
 
1 cup rice, or quinoa (I use Ancient Harvest brand because it does not need pre-rinsing)

2 (6-ounce) skinless, boneless chicken breast halves, cut into 1-inch cubes (I used 3 breast halves)
2 tablespoons cornstarch
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 tablespoon canola oil
1 tablespoon dark sesame oil
2 cups broccoli florets
1 cup frozen shelled edamame (green soybeans) (I used Snow Peas)
Water chestnuts - optional
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 medium yellow onion, finely chopped
1 red bell pepper, sliced
1/2 cup dry-roasted cashews, unsalted
1 tablespoon rice vinegar
3 tablespoons honey
2 tablespoons lower-sodium soy sauce
1 tablespoon Sriracha

Cook quinoa or rice according to package directions, omitting salt and fat.

Combine chicken and next 3 ingredients in a bowl; toss to coat.

Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add canola and sesame oils. Add chicken mixture, and sauté for 4 minutes or until lightly browned. Increase heat to high, and add broccoli and the next 4 ingredients (through red bell pepper). Cook 5 minutes or until vegetables are crisp-tender and chicken is done, stirring frequently. Stir in cashews.

Combine vinegar and remaining ingredients in a small bowl; stir with a whisk. Add vinegar mixture to chicken mixture; toss to coat.

Serve with cooked quinoa or rice.

Notes:  The serving sizes noted in the recipe are quite small so for 4 people you may wish to double this recipe.  I used a very large saute pan to accommodate all of the ingredients.

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